


Luz's Discord

by Dreamelilly018



Series: The Owl House “Reality AU” [2]
Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Aunt-Niece Relationship, Crying, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Menstruation, Mentions of Blood, Painful Cramps, Periods, Post-Canon, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27497029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamelilly018/pseuds/Dreamelilly018
Summary: It has been two months since Luz had been taken into the care of Eda Clawthorne and the visit from her former nanny. Since then, Eda is preparing for the coming confrontation with her parents while her daughter, Luz Noceda, deals with her own problems unknowingly to her maternal figure. When during one class one day, a disaster strikes, Luz has no one to turn to except for the very person who loathes her existence. How will this situation turn the tides in the relationship between the two sisters and the child caught in between?
Relationships: Amity Blight & Lilith Clawthorne, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Luz Noceda, Eda Clawthorne & Owlbert, King & Luz Noceda, Lilith Clawthorne & Luz Noceda
Series: The Owl House “Reality AU” [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983019
Comments: 30
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter One

It was early in the morning when Eda woke. Blinking open her golden eyes to stare up at the ceiling for a few moments, the seventeen-year-old groaned as her muscles ached and head throbbed. “Kermit the frog,” she hissed, gently pushing herself up in a sitting position. Once the spasming of her muscles lessoned and she managed to stand on her feet, she shuffled out of her bed, using the railing attached the wall to steady herself, grimacing when she saw the sun was still hidden.

For a long time, before King and Luz entered her life, she had been a night owl and often struggled to wake up in the morning. But, ever since Luz entered her life, she found herself stumbling halfway around the house to help her get ready for school and to drop her off. With her being two to four years younger than her peers and having very little money, Luz couldn’t drive a training staff or have a fancy pair of Wing shoes so it was either her mentor, half asleep, driving her or her hiking five miles to and from school. After the first time it happened, Eda made sure to be somewhat coherent to do pickups and drop offs.

Entering the makeshift bathroom in one of the hall closets, Eda lit a few candles and shut the door behind her. Still, with one shaky arm, she propped herself up as she began to brush her teeth, almost gagging at the putrid taste of the homemade remedy she had begun to use for her own toothpaste. With toothpaste going up to five pesos a bottle, she had made homemade for her own and bought Luz’s from the flea market where the rejected ones were sold for five snails for three to four dozen.

Using what little water was left, she spit into the large, red five gallon bucket next to the mirror propped up against a bookcase. The bucket, while filled with used and dirty water, was the water they used to water the small vegetable garden that Eda was hoping to get a few human food items so she knew Luz would have some familiarity for her food groups and not have to worry she would have an allergic reaction to them. ‘That is if they grow, ‘she thought bitterly, putting the mirror back into place and starting to stand fully up but hissed as her back gave a crack in protest. “Ow! Shit,” she hissed, rubbing her back as she staggered over to where she stored her Elixir. There was only three left, enough to last until her next payday from the few scrapped bottles she had turn in at the recycling center. The ninety pesos she got would be going to pay seventy for another week’s worth of Elixir, a few pesos in saving to get Luz a new uniform, and the rest to go back into Luz’s lunch bill that had aroused quite a bit since her Potion business had gone downhill.

Grabbing one of the smaller bottles, she popped the cork off and took a big swig, making a face as she finished half of the bottle. Corking to finish the Elixir at another time, she stood up, feeling the throbbing her back beginning to lesson. Blowing out the candle and exiting from the storage closet, she gently closed the door, not to disturb the sleeping child across the hall.

Shuffling into the kitchen she was greeted by her palsmon, Owlbert, perched on the windowsill with a small canvas bag in his beak. Meeting his gaze, the owl let the bag, containing some random, discarded potion bottles fall onto the counter as he perched on his owner’s shoulder. Giving him a gentle scratch, Eda went to where she stored the last few supplies she had left from when Willow’s parents gave them a box of food. There was enough to tide them over for another few days than she would have to go out and buy more.

Preparing a simple meal of elderberry stew and steamed Uplilmite, closely resembling a human realm acorn but was more bitter and had higher protein, the seventeen-year-old found her mind wandering. Like most people, her mind wandered back to what was worrying her at the moment. With it being two months since the surprise visit of her former nanny and a few weeks since she had gotten a letter of summons from her parents. With the date long past, it could be any moment now that they come to pay her a visit.

Already, after her past experiences with them, they would surely would do something to stir up trouble, and it was that trouble that bothered her. It would not only make it harder for her to get a better paying job but also put Luz at risk of being denied proper care if she ever needed to go to a Healer.

In all the madness that had come in her life, Luz, while still hyperactive at times, was the only blessing. Compared to all the horror stories she heard from other parents at the mandatory PTA meetings, Eda, as her guardian and maternal figure, had gotten the lucky end of the stick. There was no teenager rebellion or back talking from her. Instead, she caused no trouble and knew always when it come to her when something was wrong.

Or, at least, she thought she did.

***

Upstairs, ten-year-old Luz Noceda was awake long before the alarm on her cellphone went off. Knees pressing against her stomach and another clamped over her head, she pressed against the wall next to her sleeping bag. She had woken up barely half an hour after falling asleep to intense pain in her belly and nothing could be done to ease it. If she had been back in the human world, the ten-year-old would have called out for her Mami and if she considered it bad enough, gone to the emergency room. But she wasn’t in the human world, instead she was in the Demon Realm where her guardian, Eda, had always said that money was tight and one slipup or unexpected expense could push them further into the dark. While it had never been around King and herself, she heard her a few times after a late night bathroom break or getting up early to finish some homework. So, as she rocked, hoping to relieve the radiating pain, it was easy to conclude of not telling her Mentor. Hopefully the pain would just go away after a few days and everything would go back to normal.

“Luz! King!” came the hoarse call of Eda from downstairs, most likely in the kitchen. “Breakfast is done! Come and eat, you two before it gets cold!”

Hearing the muffled call for breakfast, King sprang up from where he lay at the bottom of her sleeping bag. The canine demon was about to head downstairs when he saw the preteen curled up against the wall. “Luz?” Careful not to startle her, he gently placed a paw on her knee, causing her to blink her watery eyes open. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she breathed out, relaxing as the pain faded to a dull ache. Relaxing her back and removing her fingernails from her upper arms. “My belly is hurting me a bit.”

King’s eyes flashed with worry. “How bad is it? Is it go to the emergency Healer bad or lay in bed and not go to school bad or is it get Eda bad?”

“We had Blood Beets last night,” Luz reminded with a grimace. “Remember last time how bad it was, King?”

King nodded, understanding. Eda and him didn’t know why but Luz always had a very bad reaction to Blood Beets but with them only being half a snail for a full two pounds, they couldn’t afford to be picky. “Are you going to school today?” King settled on the floor beside her, gently rubbing her back. “Last time, it was this bad, Eda had you stay home so she could monitor you.”

“It’s not as bad as that time,” she explained, face ashen and glistening with sweat. “I bet by the time I leave for school, I’ll be better, King.”

“Do you want me to send, Eda, up?”

The ten-year-old gave a shake of her head, gritted her teeth as a white shot of radiated through her belly, causing her back to stiffen and to hold her breath.

“I-I-I’ll be downstairs.” Gently patting her back and disappearing down the flight of stairs, King made sure to close the door so Luz could have some privacy when changing. “What’s for breakfast, Eda?” he asked, clambering into his high chair where it was located between Luz’s and Eda’s chairs. “It smells good.”

“Is Luz awake?” The girl’s maternal figure glanced over to the canine demon as she lugged over a large pot with the stew. Carefully, not wanting to spill anything, she ladled the food into three separate servings before carrying it back to the burning fire. “If she doesn’t eat soon and leave, she’ll be late for school.”

“She was just waking up when I came down.” King took a spoon and took a bite of the steaming strew. “You know how long it takes her to get dressed and brush her teeth, Eda.”

“Yes.” Eda glanced at the ceiling before adding a few extra Uplilmite from her plate to Luz’s. The past few weeks she had noticed just how small Luz had become and knew the bottom of her ribs were starting to show. With her having no reliable income, all the agencies in the Demon Realm refused to help her and she couldn’t afford another 60k in tuition per semester for her to return to school and finish her education. It was hard enough to have Luz attend with most of her expenses being covered by a scholarship. “But she still normally beats you down here with a few minutes to spare.”

“She will be down shortly,” King lied, digging into his meal as Eda stirred absent mindlessly.

***

Amity Blight had always knew she was never good with emotions or judging the emotions of others but when her Anima Mea, Luz Noceda, settled at the desk beside her in their fourth to last class in school, she knew something was wrong. Normally, it took several warning glares and a threat to send her to dentation to keep her seated and not talking, but today, Luz, bunched up and a pained grimace on her face, was silent as a mouse and had to be nudged to stand when the teacher came around to check their homework from the previous night.

Glancing over the edge of her textbook, her golden eyes latched onto the trembling girl. Her elbows pressed into her sides and her hands were placed on her lower belly as if an attempt to stop something. It was her vacant, hazel-brown eyes that worried her. Normally, during the rare lectures, Luz would be trying hard to sit still and follow along with the notes the teacher gave her. But today, she rocked and curled up in herself and silent as a mouth except for the nauseous look on her face. If humans could turn green like witches and wizard, Amity thought she would be a very deep, vivid green, from her current state.

Keeping their lecturing professor in her peripheral vison Amity gently nudged Luz with the blunt end of her pencil. "Luz is something wrong? Do you want me to inform, Professor Snape, that you aren't feeling well?" the fourteen-year-old whispered, tucking their textbook in between them so the appeared to be following along. "D-do you want to use my scroll after class to call Eda? I'm sure if she hears you're not feeling good, she will come and pick you up early."

“N-No,” she hissed out through gritted teeth, leaning forward and resting her upper half against the table. “I-I-I will be fine, Amity. There is nothing to worry about.”

“Are yo-“

“Ms. Blight and Ms. Noceda!” Professor Snape, their health teacher, stopped in front of the class. “Is my lecture interrupting your talking or is there something you want to tell the class?

“No, Mrs. Snape,” Amity said quickly. “I was helping Luz with something she was confused on.”

“Ms. Noce-“ Professor Snape, a woman in her late fifties, paused when she looked at the girl. It wasn’t hard to see the shock on her face when she realized the ashen and quiet girl seated next to Amity was the same one from yesterday’s class who could hardly stay still. “If you are confused, Ms. Noceda, please raise your hand to ask for help.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” she said softly, blinking her misty eyes as the bell for their second to last class for the day rang. “I’ll see you in Abomination class, Amity,” Luz said in a whisper, sluggishly grabbing her bundle of papers and school bag. "I can't be late for Magic and Beast Handling or Mr. Rasmey will lock me out in the hallway." Pausing to steady herself by gripping onto the table, Luz gently turned around, preparing to walk away and out of the classroom.

Amity stood beside the table and turned to her own school supplies. Slowly, as if something was troubling her, the green haired teen gathered her supplies and placed them into her bag. Biting the inner side of her cheek, she hummed in thought, worried for her Anima Mea. It was uncommon for her to be so quiet and withdrawn as she had been during class.

Zipping her school bag shut and heaving it onto her shoulders, the fifteen-year-old exited from the classroom, following the last trickle of students who were rushing to their classroom before the late bell rang. Stopping at her locker briefly to gather a new scroll and take out her Transformation Spell book in place of her potion textbook, she barely made it into the room seconds before the late bell rang.

Speed walking to the back of the classroom, she plopped down onto her chair, nodding in greeting to her table mate before opening her textbook and preparing to take notes. As Mr. Drake started doing roll call, Amity gently tapped her foot, restless and worried. No matter how she tried to push it out of her mind, the fourteen-year-old couldn't help but think there was something Luz wasn't telling her and it was starting to worry her.


	2. Chapter Two

Luz was silent as her teacher, Mr. Ramsey, began his class, listing off his attedence sheet in a quick manner before going deep into his lecture. Shaky and biting the inside of her cheek to keep back her low whimpers, the ten-year-old stared ahead, agony gripping her insides and back ridging with each rippling of pain. ‘ _This isn’t supposed to be happening_ ,’ she thought in a panic, hazel-brown gaze staring ahead. ‘ _I have never had this painful of reaction to Blood Beets_.’

Fingers curling painfully into her bony arms to keep her centered, she tried in vain to listen to the lecture the teacher was going over the test tomorrow. But all her attention was the tightening and clenching of her belly and the block hanging over the door, and its soft ticking. It was the object, the sole thing, which kept her from running out of the classroom.

Blinking her misty eyes, Luz put on a pained smile and sat up straighter, seeing Mr. Ramsey floating around the room, checking his student’s notebooks. Glancing down at her own, she almost collapsed in relief. Even during her hazy mind, she managed to write down in chicken scratch a few notes. Hopefully, it would be enough to please her professor for the time being. Mr. Ramsey was always picky about his students paying attention and the taking an adequate amount of notes for to pass exams for his class. Also, knowing Luz still struggled to understand their language, Mr. Ramsey always gave her more attention and was harder on her so she wouldn’t fall through the cracks like students’ in the past classes.

Suddenly, feeling a hand on her back, she almost leaped out of her skin when she realized it was only Mr. Ramsey. His golden eyes scanned over the page and half of notes she had taken. Nodding in approval, he answered, “You have improved with the amounts of notes you are taking.” He patted her gently on her head. “However, you are still struggling with picking up of the more advanced wording,” he thought out loud. Standing up, he glanced at the clock. There was only about tenish minutes left in class. “Once classes are out for the day, Ms. Noceda,” he began. “I want you to come back to the classroom. I need to finish translating a few more paragraphs of today’s notes and the test for tomorrow. Once school is out, I will be able to give you the lecture’s notes for today. How does that sound, Ms. Noceda?”

“That sounds great, Mr. Ramsey.” The tan girl almost perked up back to her normal self as the weight of missing valuable information for class was lifted from her shoulders.

“While I am still working on mastering Pythonissam with Eda, there hasn’t been much time to practice lately. We are all busy. King and Eda have work with their respective jobs and I am attending Hexide. So it’s fallen on the back burners for the moment with other, more important things, coming up that needs to be attended to almost immediately. But Amity, Willow, and Gus promised to help teach me this weekend though,” she added quickly, seeing an unknown emotion flash over his eyes. “Nothing to worry about, Mr. Ramsey.”

“If you ever need to talk about anything, my door is always open,” he responded, turning around and drawing everyone’s attention back up front. Using the last few minutes of the lecture, Mr. Ramsey began to explain the difference between Blood Beet and Blood Orca, both inexpensive and appearing almost identically, but how Blood Beet, a cheap fruit for witches to eat, and Blood Orca, also a cheap fruit for witches, were different. Blood Beet was known to be slowly poisoning some creatures while Blood Orca gave the proper nutrients and was safe option to feed to livestock.

Hearing the last bit of lecture, Luz flinched and wanted to curl up in herself. Was Eda, without realizing it, slowly poisoning her with having Blood Beets six out of seven days a week? Was this why she felt like death freezing over and her insides were being eaten alive.

‘ _Am I dying?_ ’ she thought, misty eyes glancing up at the clock. There was only seven minutes left. Could she make it to the end of class for her to go to the nurse? ‘ _Is this why I feel so sick?_ ’

Staring ahead with panicked hazel-brown eyes, she gripped tightly onto the table, feeling her fingers protesting in pain. It wasn’t hard for her to forget how different the Boiling Isles was to her realm and something considered healthy and good to the witches may be harmful or even deadly to her, a human. It was a very frightening realization for her.

But still, knowing how much strain she was putting her on, it wasn’t hard for her to briefly think Eda was doing it on purpose. However, quick was it was there, it was pushed out of her mind.

‘ _It has been five months since you have come to live with Eda. If she didn’t want to keep you, she would have said something._ ’ The soft, clever voice of common sense pointed out almost instantly. ‘ _Eda has had many chances where, if she wanted to, that you could have been given up. It could have been when Lilith offered to take you to a group home or Amity’s parents, in rare act of “kindness”, offered to take you in. Eda loves you, and there is nothing to go against this._ ’

If she was poisoned, what was wrong with her? Why was she feel like her insides were being eaten alive?

‘ _Don’t be so worried, Luz,_ ’ she silently scolded herself with a shake of her head. _‘You just probably ate something that doesn’t agree with your human digestive system and your body is just trying to fight it off. There is nothing to worry, Luz. Just pay attention to class and keep your grades up!_ ’

Shaking her head to come back to the present, she tried to ignore the dull ache in her belly turning to an agonizing clench that almost drew her breath away. Feeling light headed, the ten, almost eleven, year old moved her gaze to the clock, internally groaning when she saw there was still eight minutes left.

Eight more minutes to sit, tortured in silence, before she could make a getaway to the bathroom, hopefully to have a few minutes of rocking that helped relieve the pain.

‘You’ll be okay,’ she reassured herself, trying to calm the roar of her heart. ‘I’s okay. Just take deep breathes and focus on what Mr. Ramsey was saying. Once he dismisses class, you can go to the bathroom and take a few seconds to gather your bearings. Doing this won’t let anyone know that you aren’t feeling the best. They can’t make fun of you like back in the Human Realm.’

“With five minutes left, be free to talk amongst yourself,” Mr. Ramsey said as he settled behind his desk. “Just leave it to a low roar.”

_‘Five minutes left. FIVE MINUTES!’_

The preteen almost started crying. She thought the bell was going to ring any second. Not in five minutes with the teacher giving the other students free time. During the next five minutes, anyone could notice something was wrong with her and tell the teacher.

‘ _No. No, Luz. Don’t think of that. Think of other things. Not about the total embarrassment that could happen if anyone found out that something was wrong with me_.’ Eyes wandering, she focused her gaze onto her textbook. Something to focus on to help her ignore her heightening pain.

**Griffins, commonly portrayed as monsters in the Human Realm, are truly known as sweet, gentle creatures who the people who they are loyal to. Being the offspring of a rare pairing of a lion and an eagle, they have the speed of an eagle and strength of a lion that will do anything to protect their offspring and partners. It is also known that Griffins, if raised by the person from a young age, could be trained to be a service animal but is very rare with how very little there is are of this species and how costly of raising one from an egg is. However, in the recent years, there has been a surge of domestic breeders that are trying to bring the Griffins back from almost extinction. It is believed in the next decade that Griffins would be common enough that it wouldn’t be a need to receive a per-**

Blowing out a breath, her head snapped up, glancing at the clock.

Two more minutes. She sagged in relief. Two more minutes than she would be free.

Turning her mind back to her textbook, Luz prepared to read when an attention shattering cramp began to travel through her body. Biting her lip to hold back a whimper, she forced herself to continue reading.

**It is believed in the next decade that Griffins would be common enough that it wouldn’t be a need to receive a permeant that will low the lower earning brackets to have a chance to one day possibly own a Griffin. Until than Grif-**

Squeezing, her face grew red as there was a tigthening and a cold shiver ran through her body. Feeling an uncomfortable sensation in her lower belly, she shifted before there was a dampness. Eyes widening like an Owl’s, Luz had to use all her self-control to keep herself sitting as she glanced down at her jeans, fearful of what she may find.

Half confused, she found nothing. But then the dampness increased, exposing a small needle point of red.

Hand flying to cover her mouth to muffle her shocked gasp and tears burning in the corners of her eyes, Luz felt like the world was about to give out on her. ‘ _Blood_ ,’ she mouthed behind her hand, panic worsening. ‘ _It’s blood. I’m bleeding!_ ’ Lifting her head up, she glanced around, hoping to find a familiar face but found no one she trusted enough to inform of their predicament. Mr. Ramsey had left the room and the others, four to five years older than her, didn’t even glance at her, nor did her desk mate, who had moved two seats up to talk to her friends for plans of the weekend. For a moment, she opened her mouth to whimper out, “Marsha,” in a vain hope to get her attention. But, as the pain grew worse and her terror of the situation began to grow stronger, she could easily recall her mother saying something about something like this before she was supposed to Camp Reality.

“ _If you ever get hurt and there is no authority figure around, only talk to people you know that you can trust_ ,” her mother had told her before she left for work. “ _If you don’t know or trust someone in the area, go and find an authority figure so they can help you. Not knowing a person can just make the injury worse and cause you unnecessary stress, Mija. Trust your instincts and follow them_.”

Eyes lingering on Marsha, she wondered if she could trust her seat mate enough to ask her for help. ‘ _No_ ,’ she thought with a sigh. _There had been too many times her desk mate calling her a baby and a werdio. ‘I need to find someone else_.’

***

After a quick check that she had rewritten the homework assignment properly, Amit zipped her bag shut and got from her seat, relived for her class to be over. Now, her last two classes would be slow but she would have Luz by her side. With a limited amount of time to get her things and get to her classroom on the other side of campus, Amity hurried to her locker, quickly collecting her translated notes that she and Luz worked on last few days and her textbook for Abomination class. Once everything was safely stored in her school bag and her locker securely latched, she bounded up through the hallways, giving a brief nod as she passed Willow and Gus as they entered the science labs for a photo genics class. Arriving to her classroom just as the bell rang, she plopped into her seat as her teacher, Mr. Takato, began to take attdenece once everyone had quieted down.

“Good afternoon, students, Mr. Takato said as he sat his attendance sheet onto his desk. “As we went over yesterday just before class let out, we will be following the lecture notes from previous lectures for the lab today.” He went over to where he picked up his teacher textbook, staring at the notes. “So, with your partner’s aid, I want you to do this lab and be prepared to show us with the last ten minutes of class your results.”

Seeing the teacher turning back to his desk, Amity got to her feet and went to the front where he had sat their supplies on the table to the right of the chalkboard. Gathering the more advanced ingredients for her to build the harder part of the Abomination, the green haired teenager used the other basket to get the basic ingredients to make the miniature Abomination and the spheres that will be used for the presentation at the end of class.

"I got everything Luz." Fourteen-year-old Amity Blight approached the desk, sight blocked by the two baskets that contained the ingredients. Setting the notebooks back onto the table, she shuffled the baskets into place, looking up. "Do you want to start preparing the wet ingredients while I do the dry? Or should we do the abomination preparation to-."

Raising her golden eyed gaze, the prized pupil found her the seat, right next to her's was empty. There wasn't even a sign that Luz had shown up to class or she was in this part of the building or campus. "Mr. Takato," she said as he approached his desk. "My partner, Luz Noceda, isn't in her seat. Did her mother come to pick her up? She wasn't feeling that well in the last class I had with her."

Mr. Takato, turning to his attendence sheet, after a brief scanning over the pages, shook his head. "I received no such call or informant from Principal Bump," he said, glancing at his prized pupil. "Do you know which teacher she had last, Ms. Blight? I can send a Hawk to them and see if she left his class early."

"I.." Amity bit the inside of her cheek before continuing. "I can go look for her, Mr. Takato. She probably got lost on her way to the classroom. This is only her second time attending this class unlike the rest of us."

"You may go," he said, closing his attdenece book. "I will put you and her down as exempt from this lab today with Miss Noceda being under the weather."

"Thank you, sir." Amity rushed back to her table. Packing up her things and returning the two baskets to the front table, she exited from the Abomination classroom and went to find where Luz could have gotten herself stuck at.


	3. Chapter Three

As soon as the first bell rang, Luz shoved everything into her school bag and took off, briefly putting Usain Bolt to shame as she skidded to a halt in front of the only girl’s bathroom on this side of campus. Eyes landing on the large crowd of girls waiting around the entrance of the bathroom, she felt like crying. There would be no way she could get into the bathroom her predicament and embarrassing her to the rest of the student body.

Arms wrapping around her belly, she began to back away. Was she upset enough to leave early and risk Eda losing her rare temper on her?

Her mentor and pseudo maternal figure had always said that she didn’t pay almost 15k for expenses and leftover in tuition each semester for her to attend Hexide for her to skip the rest of the day for no reason. But would she understand once she saw how much pain the ten-year-old was in and not lecture her for the time being?

“Hey move, guys!” A girl, an upperclassmen, began to walk towards the crowd. “I need to change my Tempestivus cloth before it leaks. So, please let me in.” With a low murmur of sympathy the people moved aside, allowing the girl in. Before entering the bathroom, the upperclassmen paused beside Luz, grabbing the hood of her school outfit. “Come with me kid,” she said. “I am going to need someone to hold my school bag for me. Don’t want anyone taking anything important out of it.”

Before the ten-year-old could utter a word of protest, she stumbled forward until she was pulled into the bathroom. Flinching at the harsh glares of the older students, she yelped when she almost crashed into the back of the older girl. “What is Tempestivus?” she stammered in a quiet, muffled voice. “Why did the others-“

“Nothing to worry about sweet cheeks,’ she said, seeing the worried eyes of the younger student. “Now, it seems like you were in a hurry to get into the bathroom and one of the stalls is about to be free. So you might want to be ready to take it, squirt.”

Luz gave a quick nod as she turned around. The bathroom, once allowing some room, was now densely packed and allowed very little room. Seeing one of the stall doors opening and another girl exiting, the ten-year-old dashed forward and slipped in, using her small frame to her advantage. Latching the lock into place, she collapsed onto the toilet seat, her pants and whimpers fading into the background as the other students filtered in and out to use the bathroom.

Once she caught her breath and it didn’t feel like a live animal was trying to claw her insides out, Luz stood up on wobbly feet, clutching onto the side car to keep her from face planting onto the floor. Blinking open her misty eyes, she dared to glance down at her black leggings. Eyes bulging wide, Luz felt sick to her stomach once she saw her gray leggings were drenched in blood and a harsh copper smell greeted her nose. Feeling sick to her stomach, the ten-year-old covered her mouth, fighting the urge to throw up. It wasn’t the time or place to be sick. She needed to be fully there to figure out what to do.

Could she risk it and venture out to find Amity? If she found her, the green haired teenager would know what to do. Amity always knew what to do. That would be the easiest answer for her but could she handle facing the crowded bathroom?

Biting her lower lip, she settled on the edge of the toilet seat, pushing back a sob as tears began to trail down her cheeks. Using the sleeve of her school uniform, she sniffled and scooted back until the soles of her shoes rested on the very edge and her knees pressed into her stomach. “Mami,” Luz whimpered, pleading for her mother to appear out of thin air. “Mami, I want you.”

Trying to make herself small, she almost didn’t hear the school bell scream out in the hallway. She did hear the fading footsteps as people left the bathroom and the second bell, telling her that she was going to be late for her next class.

Either she was going to die from the pain pooling in her stomach or from Eda if she found out she was willingly skipping a class. Tucking her knees beneath her chin, she bit onto her lip trying to hold back a sob. All her hard work and her overcoming the barriers that others didn’t have to go through would be going to waste. What was she going to do?

After a few minutes of trembling and fighting back tears, Luz managed to calm down the thumping of her heart and her sniffling. Using her sleeves to wipe her tears, she blew her nose into a piece of toilet paper as the dampness on her jeans began to spread, almost driving her back into tears.

_What’s happening? Why am I bleeding? She_ wanted to wail out, pleading for Eda or Mami to appear out of thin air. Surely, if she stayed in here long enough, there would be someone, hopefully Amity, would come looking for her.

If Amity did discover where she was at, what would she do or react? How could she explain how much pain she was in or that she was bleeding between her legs? Would her friend, four years her senior, laugh at her for bawling her eyes out and calling for her Mami like a baby? Just thinking of one of her three friends laughing at her made her lip quiver and eyes swell up with tears once more.

_‘Marsha is right,’_ she thought, a sob breaking through. Pressing her arm into her stomach and rocking slightly, Luz’s shoulders sagged. _‘I am nothing but a baby. I shouldn’t be with the older kids but with the baby class.’_

Feeling her stomach clench and eyes squeezing shut, she let out a groan, freezing as she heard the door open with a creak.

***

Pausing at the entrance of the bathroom, Amity glanced around, seeing if there was any teacher in sight. If Luz was in this bathroom, it wouldn’t do any to help her if a teacher caught her without a hall pass. Seeing no teacher approaching from either side of the hallway, she entered into the bathroom and closed the door gently behind her. “Luz,” the green-haired which hissed under softly in case there was only one of the school’s staff members in the bathroom. “It’s Amity. Are you in here?”

“Amity...” The sniffling voice of her Anima Mea answered her back, scarce and trembling. “I am in the second stall to the end.”

“A-are you okay?” She cautiously approached the stall door, stopped in front of it. “Is something wrong?”

Luz let out a whimper that soon got drowned out by a heart wrenching sob.

“Luz?”

“N-no,” she squeaked, hiccupping.

“What’s happening?” The fifteen-year-old prepared to use a spell to unlock the door so she could check her Anima Mea for any visible injuries. “Did you bump your head or did someone say something to you? If it’s the second option, who was it? Just tell me their name and I will make them pay.”

“It’s not that,” she whispered in a soft, timid voice.

“Luz.” Amity was close to pleading, worry pooling and settling heavily into the bottom of her stomach. “Please tell me what is the matter? What is bothering you?

“Never mind. Just forget it,” the ten-year-old blurted out between a low squeak than a moan. “I will just stay here until school ends. You can go back to class, Amity.”

Tensing and preparing to use a spell to unlock the stall, Amity Blight began to draw a circle when Luz broke out crying, hard sobs filling the vacant bathroom. “Luz, darling,” she began gently as if she was speaking to a young witchling. “Something is wrong and I am beginning to worry. Can you please come out?”

“No!” The preteen now fell silent and took a deep breath, crying harder. “I want my Mami! I want my Mami, Amity!”

“Do you want me to go to the office and call Eda for you?” spoke Amity in a soft voice, trying not to frighten her.

“No,” cried out indignant Luz in a wail. “I want my Mami not Eda.”

“Oh.” Realization dawned on Amity. “You want your biological mother, Camilia, right? Your mother in the Human Realm?”

“Please Amity,” she pleaded in a heart wrenching sob, voice ringing with desperation and terror. “I just want my Mami. No one else.”

“Stay here, Luz.” Amity took a step back and turned, preparing to leave the bathroom. “I am going to get a teacher and they should be able to help.”

“Don’t leave me,” sobbed Luz. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“I won’t be gone that long, Luz,” assured Amity in a calm voice, humming softly as she tried to comfort the ten-year-old. “I am just going to get teacher and see if I can find someone that can help you.”

“But-“

“No, just give me a few minutes and don’t worry,” instructed the fifteen-year-old. “I am going to leave and am going to find a teacher that is free. It shouldn’t be that hard since most teachers on this floor have prep for this period. I am going now and will be back in a few minutes,” she promised again, turning to leave. “Just count to five minutes. I will be back in five minutes.”

“Okay...” Luz sniffled as Amity stepped out into the hallway.

Marching down the hallway and glancing into each open classroom, Amity found them either vacant or the teachers too absorbed in their work to notice a student lingering by the door. As she neared the end of the hall, the green haired witchling began to worry that she would have to turn to Luz without an adult to help her. Luz had barely let her go without having a full blown fit and wouldn't handle it well if she came back without a teacher to figure out what is going on. She had begun to turn away when she spotted her mentor, Lilith Clawthorne, seated at her desk in her office, eyes trained on a packet of papers.

“Miss Clawthorne?” Amity hesitated at the entrance of her office, rapping softly on her door frame. “Miss Clawthorne, are you free?”

“Miss Blight?” questioned Lilith, taking her glasses off of her face. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in class?”

“Mr. Takato sent me out to look for Luz when she didn’t show up to class when the bell rang.”

“Have you found Ms. Noceda yet?” Lilith didn’t sound that joyed when talking about her apprentice’s Anima Mea. “If you haven’t, why are you here instead of searching for her like you Abomination teacher requested you to do.”

“I found her in the girls’ bathroom,” she explained, beginning to sound worry. “But Luz refuses to come out of the stall and seems upset. I think something is wrong. Either she’s hurt or something else.”

“Have you gotten a teacher?” responded Lilith, sitting up straighter. “You should have gone to get one right away.”

“They were too busy to notice my presence. You’re the only one to even acknowledge me.”

Sighing, her indigo haired mentor stood up. Smoothing out the material of her dress, she shuffled her paper into a neat pile and pushed her chair in. “Please lead the way,” she said begrudgingly. “Let’s see what is wrong with Miss Noceda.”

“Okay.” Amity turned around and began to lead the way back to the bathroom. From little she knew, Luz and Lilith didn’t have a good relationship instead it was like they were bitter rivals. “She’s been asking for her mother in the Human Realm. I think it’s bad if she is asking for Camilia.”

Lilith frowned as she approached the bathroom. While she loathed the child and her very existence for putting shame on the Clawthorne family name, she never wished harm to come onto the child and her to be hurting enough that the presence of Eda didn’t comfort her. “Thank you for informing me,” she replied entering the bathroom. “Miss Noceda.” She knocked on the bathroom stall, causing the preteen to sniffle. “Can you open the stall please? I can’t help you if you don’t allow me to look over your physical condition.”

“I don’t wat you to tell at me,” she protested. “Like how you yelled at Eda for her decision of taking care of me.”

“Miss Noceda, which was rash of me to do in your presence and this situation is different. My apprentice, Miss Blight, your friend, has informed me that you are heart and you refuse to come out of the stall. Now, as a teacher, do not make me use magic to force you to open the stall door. I don’t like using magic on students unless it’s absolutely is needed. Now, this is the last time I am asking, can you please open the door, Miss Noceda, before I make you.”

“You promise that you aren’t going to yell at me,” she said in a soft whisper.

“I promise,” Lilith Clawthorne assured the preteen as the lock clicked out of plague. “Good girl,” she praised as Luz shuffled back, allowing Lilith or Amity to open the door with a simple push. “Now, I want you to come out so I can look you over.”

“Yes, Miss Clawthorne,” Luz said, shuffling forward and beginning to push the stall door open.


	4. Chapter Four

With the door partly ajar, Luz stuck her head out, eyes misty. Blinking her hazel-brown eyes, she met Lilith’s worried blue eyed gaze. “I want my Mami, Miss Lilith,” she whispered as Amity approached her. “C-can I go home?”

“You can’t go back to the Human Realm with the portal destroyed,” the green haired witch gently explained to the distraught ten-year-old. “But I do think Miss Clawthorne will allow you to go back to the Owl House if you aren’t feeling that well, Luz.”

“Miss Noceda.” Lilith leaned down, meeting her at eye level. “Can you come out please? I just want to find out what’s wrong before I can take you to Eda.”

Sniffing and giving a short nod, she inched herself forward until her body was partly outside the stall. “My stomach hurts,” Luz explained, using one of her sleeves to wipe her tears away. “It’s worse than when I eat Blood Beets, Miss Lilith.”

Gently, Lilith tugged her forward until she stood out completely in front of her. Scanning over her body and finding nothing wrong, she tensed up once she saw the front of her pants. At first she was worried who had injured her enough to bleed so bad but then relaxed when she realized what was happening.

“L-L-Luz you’re bleeding!” Amity’s golden eyes widened in horror. “W-what happened? Who hurt you?”

“I-I..” Luz hid her face in her hands, letting out a sob, body shaking with terror. “I just want to go home, Amity,” she pleaded, sobs growing harder. “I want to back to the Owl House and see Eda!”

Anger increasing, Amity felt for her training wand, wanting to make the person to pay for upsetting her. “Luz, please tell who did this to you,” she said gently, forcing her voice to remain cheerful and calm. It wouldn’t do anything to frighten the poor child before leaving to face the person who she considered her enemy. “W-what did they do to you? Can you tell me please how you got injured?”

Flinching at the forced cheerfulness of her older friend’s voice, the ten-year-old flinched, shuffling backwards to hide partly behind the stall door. Half peering around the edge, Luz clutched onto the lock to keep herself steady before she tumbled to the floor. “No one hurt me,” she explained in a strained whisper, tears beginning to gather in her eyes as her stomach clenched again. “I don’t know what is happening, Amity.” Hazel-brown eyes watering, the younger student gave a pleading look. “I just want to go back to The Owl House, and be with Eda. Please, Amity. Can you take me back to Eda and King at The Owl House?”

“It’s against the school rules,” she protested weakly, her anger sapping away. “I’ll get into trouble if I leave campus without a guardian or a teacher present.”

Luz’s face crumbled. Big, fat tears that reminded Amity of her little sister, Porsha, fell down her face and a hard, desperate sob rocked her body. Burying her face arms and shoulders shaking, the ten-year-old felt ashamed. Here she was, with one of her good friends and the woman that despised her, bawling her eyes out like a baby and demanding unrealistic wants that couldn’t be met.

Feeling a familiar sensation of concern and worry, the green haired fifteen-year-old moved forward to comfort her other half. But as she was about to lay a hand on her shoulder, a hand landed on her back. Shocked, Amity spun around and saw her mentor, Lilith Clawthorne, silently gesturing to the door. “Miss Clawthorne?” she questioned, a guarded and protective expression on her face as she inched to stand between her mentor and the sobbing girl.

“I want you to go and wait in my office until I come to fetch you, Miss Blight,” she said softly, blue pools meeting her apprentice’s defending gaze. Fingers curling into her shoulder blade, Lilith began to lead the Abomination Track student towards the entrance of the bathroom. “Now don’t dawdle as I assume you don’t have a hall pass from Mr. Takato.” Opening the door, she gently nudged her apprentice out into the hallway. “Wait in my office until Luz and I come to fetch you.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” she said as the bathroom door swung close, leaving the two Clawthorne kin alone with each other.

Luz ducked back into her stall, preparing to slam it close if that was needed. “Miss Clawthorne?” she said in a whisper, elbows digging into her ribcage again as she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push the pain out of her mind. “W-w-why did you send Amity away for? Is there something wrong with me?” Getting no answer, the ten-year-old blinked her misty eyes open, seeing her mentor’s sister starting to kneel down in front of her. “Miss Clawthorne?”

Before Luz could react and before Lilith realize she was doing, the fifty-seven year old wrapped her arms around the young girl, drawing her close and wrapping an arm around her shoulders and the other resting on her head. Awkwardly and stiffly, the Covenness patted the preteen’s back, trying her best to sooth her weeping and comfort her. “There, there,” she said almost robotically. “There. There. Everything is okay, Luz. Now stop your crying and wipe your tears. You have nothing to be crying about.”

Lilith didn’t realize how much time had passed until she glanced down and saw Luz, still pale, had her tears dried and eyes a faint red color. Still, holding onto the girl, she allowed her to step back, keeping her an arm’s length away as the Covenness shifted to block the view of the child’s stained front side if anyone were to enter.

“Luz,” she began, relief pooling into her voice. No matter how much she despised the girl or how much the ten-year-old was the bane of her existence, Lilith hated seeing one of her protégé’s friends upset or hurt. “I know that your relationship is rather rocky but for this moment, I am the only person you have to can help you. So, let’s put everything aside to get you cleaned up. Then, once you feeling better and I calmed Amity down, I will take you and Miss Blight to The Owl House. Does that sound fair?”

Mute and digging her nails into the rough material of her jeans, Luz gave a mute nod.

“Miss Noceda?”

“Yes, Miss Clawthorne,” she said in a breezy whisper. “That sounds fair.”

The Covenness nodded, a fond smile splitting across her face. Luz, while appearing nothing like her little sister, reminded her so much of Edalyn. It was almost shocking how familiar they were and how they weren’t Mother and Daughter biologically.

“Miss Noceda.. Luz.” Lilith allowed her hands to drop from her shoulders. “I know I may haven’t earned it but thank you for trusting me enough to open the door.”

Mute, Luz nodded.

“Can I request you to trust me just a bit longer?” she questioned, seeing the hesitance and impatience on the child’s face. “Sooner you answer the sooner, you can feel better.”

Taking a moment to gather her bearings and to calm the pulsing of her heart, Luz gave timid nod. “I trust you,” she whispered, meeting her friend’s mentor’s blue eyed gaze. “I trust you, Miss Clawthorne.”

“Good girl,” she praised as she quickly unfastened her black garment from around her shoulders and hung it over her free arm. “Take my cloak and put it on, dear.” Holding it out and giving her room for her arm to go through one of the two sleeves.

“B-but?” Luz cringed, eyes scanning over the cloak. From what little Eda had told her, a witch’s cloak was sacred and only given to ones who were thought to have earned it. For someone to offer their cloak to wear, it was almost sacred. “C-cloaks are important and I can s-soil it,” she stammered, eyes widening in shock.

“That doesn’t matter,” Lilith said simply, shaking her head. “I can clean the cloak later. Now, take the cloak, Miss Noceda.”

Sheepish, the ten-year-old stepped forward and slipped her hands into the sleeves. Once Lilith fastened it shut, Luz appeared to be swimming in the clothes and almost like she was playing dress up. “It’s huge on me,” she giggled, feeling at ease for the first time since arriving at school that day.

“Yes, you do.” Lilith pressed a hand on the young girl’s back, guiding her forward. “With you covered and classes not ending for another twenty minutes, we should have just enough time to go to the girl’s locker room so you can take a shower and I will track you down a new uniform. Than you can go back to class or if you wish, I can call Edalyn to come and pick you up, Luz.”

“You won’t be able to get ahold of Eda,” Luz blurted out quickly. “With us having very little money, she had to sell her scroll to pay towards my new uniform and to buying a few pounds of Blood Beets.”

“That part will stay between us,” Lilith said after a moment. Already, with how much Luz and Edalyn had been through, it would break them if they were separated. Scrolls, being the cheapest form of communication, was seen as the last barrier between homelessness and getting by. “But once you are settled, and if you don’t want to return to class, I can fly you and Amity to Edalyn’s house under the pretense of accompanying me for an errand as part of your training.”

Hands flying to one of Lilith’s arms, Luz pressed into her side, frame shaking as they exited out from the bathroom. Lilith, noticing how skittish she was, easily concluded if she hadn’t been there, Luz would have sprinted out of the school, ready to flee from any sign of trouble. But, rubbing soothing circles with her thumb, the Covenness coaxes the girl down the hallway, noticing that the minutes were starting to trickle by. Walking to the long corridor to where the locker rooms were located, Lilith went to where extra bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Simply explaining the girl to take a shower, the Covenness turned around and went to gather items that was needed.

***

Lilith Clawthorne never thought she would be in the position she was currently in. For the longest time she had known her little sister, Edalyn Clawthorne, it was assumed she would never have children with her Curse plaguing her body and her getting worn down compared to others of her age. So, when she announced not only having an apprentice but also adopting her barely two and half months into her apprenticeship was what blindsided her. It was this blind sidedness that drove her to loath and dislike Luz Noceda. The human, while innocent and unknowingly, had been the thing that caused a blemish and stain to the Clawthorne familial name.

But now, after seeing her heartbroken and pitiful appearance, she just began to realize how much the young apprentice was suffering. Luz had come to the Boiling Isles just days after turning ten-years-old, and like any normal ten-years-old trapped in a world different from her own, she was missing her mother and scared. Lilith had been anything but welcoming and just made her situation worse.

Sighing and pitching the bridge of her nose, Lilith stopped in front of the closet where a few spare uniforms were stored. “I have messed up so much,” she sighed, putting in the memorized combination as it swung open with a flick of her finger. “The poor thing must have been through so much.” Retrieving a few garments of various sizes, she closed the locker and pushed her hair behind her pointed ears. “Hopefully, Edalyn and her will one day be able to forgive me.”

Heading back to where Luz was still showering, out of sight, the Covenness carefully folded the garments into three neat piles before settling them to the side, out of reach of the steaming water. “Luz,” she called, pushing the curtain to the side to talk to the child. “I have several uniforms out here to change into since I don’t know your size and your other one appears to be too big.”

“Thank you, Miss Lilith,” Luz called as she covered her front side. “I will change once I finish showering and dried off properly.”

“I will be outside, darling,” Lilith promised, stepping out of the locker room and standing in the middle of the doorway so no one could enter.

***

Once done showering and fully dried, she stumbled out of the shower, shivering as she grabbed the uniforms. Skirting around the pool of water in the middle of the floor, she went into the corner, the furthest from the gaping entrance of the showers. Trying each uniform on, she settled for the second one. While it still hung off of her like she was a ghost, it was snug enough that it didn’t look silly. Refolding the other two and placing them back where she found them, she stepped out into the hallway.

Holding back a yelp, she landed backwards as she rammed into Miss Clawthorne’s back. Once to her feet, with the help of Lilith, she adjusted her mini cloak and placed her school bag back onto her back. “A-Are we going to The Owl House now?” she asked shyly, avoiding her gaze with an embarrassed blush. “I want to go home now, Miss Clwathorne.”

“Let’s go and retrieve Amity from my office,” Lilith said dourly, pulling her sister’s adopted daughter to her side and led her through the hallways. “Than once we are together, we can take Sapphire, my staff and Palsamon, and go to The Owl House.”

Quiet, together, they walked in silence to Lilith’s office and to where Amity was waiting.


	5. Chapter Five

Lilith gripped tightly onto the handle of her staff, arms pressing into the sides of her two passengers, Luz Noceda and Amity Blight. After stopping at her office to collect her apprentice and a few other things, the Covenness and two Hexide students had walked to the back courtyard so they would have privacy to leave. The journey to her estranged sister's house should only take thirty minutes. 

During the first few minutes of flight, her apprentice had shifted so that Luz, occasionally whimpered and fatigued, could rest against her. The young child appeared to be ready for the day to end after everything she had been through. Hopefully, they would arrive at her little sister's makeshift house before Luz either bled through or fell asleep. Either of which wouldn't due any good to fragile student. 

"Just a little bit longer," she said to the two passengers, trying to keep her voice calm and reassuring while being heard over the roar of the wind. "We will be arriving shortly."

"Did you hear that, Luz?" Amity's voice held a shrill, forced cheerfulness. It wasn't hard to notice the worry. "In about five minutes or so, we will be arriving at Eda's. If you want we could read the Good Witch Azura books for our book meeting a day early."

Luz, ashen and trembling, gave a short nod. "That sounds nice, Amity," she said with a low hiss, her left arm pressing into her stomach in an attempt to lesson the pain. "Could you read it aloud this time? I don't think I would be able to read the small text for this meeting."

"Of course." Miss Blight hummed softly, one arm wrapping around her sister's apprentice and the other stabilizing them. "I had a feeling that you might want to just litsen this meeting. 

It's most likely going to be a short one though from how worn out you look."

Silence fell over the group as they began to finish the last leg of their journey. Lilith almost found it peaceful with the sun being blocked by the clouds and only a gentle breeze stirring around them. With her leaving Hexide and having two periods for the school day, there was hardly any traffic like following the day completion. Besides a scarce delivery or other Boiling Iles resident, it had just been them. 

"Are we almost there, Miss Clawthorne?" came the low whine of Luz, partly asleep in her apprentice's grasp. "I want Eda."

"I can see The Owl House now, Luz Removing her hand that didn't hold onto Luz, Amity pointed to the distant looming, silhouette of the towel that hung over her sister's owl themed inhabitance. "We aren't that farl Maybe another minute or two before we arrive. You are almost home, Luz."

Luz's reply was only a pained whimper

Keeping her attention fully at the task at hand, Lilith began to descend from the sky, careful of the extra weight in front of her. It had been several years, when Edalyn had been younger, that she had someone riding with her. It was unfathomable and unpresented for a mentor to have their apprentice flying with them. Mentoring someone wasn't supposed to create a familial bond or anything more than a working relationship. That was an exact opposite with Luz, Edalyn, and now possibly, Amity and herself.

"Miss Clawthorne!" Amity's panicked cries drew her back to the present, seeing how close she was to crashing into the nearby treetops

"Hang on, girls." Pressing her inner arms into their sides, Lilith yanked her staff sideways, Stomach churning, the Covenness began to steady them, heart pounding at how close they had been getting seriously injured. 

Lilith's boots touched the ground and she took a second to steady herself. Taking in the ashen face of Luz and Amity's worried one, the Covenness hoped that Eda would take a moment to asses the situation before attacking her and her apprentice. Dismounting over the staff and reaching out to help Luz as she half slid, half fell onto the ground. Supporting her weight and keeping her apprentice to the side of her in case of an attack, together they walked up the grassy yard, heading towards the house. Once at the door, she raised her black painted nails and gave a loud rap on the door.

"Edalyn," she shouted, careful not to startle Luz as she pressed against her. "Edalyn, its Lilith. I have Amity and Luz with me."

"Hoot! Hoot!" A large, wooden colored creature opened its eyes, startling Amity and surprising Lilith. "Hello," it greeted. "I'm Hooty. Who are you-" The creature cut off when its gazed settled on the trembling Luz. "Luz! What are you doing home so early? Eda was about to leave to be on time to pick you up from Hexide."

"Hooty, please just let us in," Luz whispered feebly. "I just wa-" She cut off, body stiffening as she pressed into Lilith's side. "I just want Eda," she finished in a scarce whisper

"Eda isn't going to be happy that you are skipping school," Hooty remarked, drawing tears from Luz. "She sacrifices so much so you can attend Hexide."

"Enough!" With a quick flick of her hand, Lilith summoned her staff, pointing it threateningly at Hooty. "You will stop this, you blasted creature, and inform someone inside that we are here."

"All right, all right! Geez!" Hooty groaned, staring coldly at Lilith. "King, Eda, we have company."

"Finally!" Amity huffed from where she stood behind Lilith, "You were taking forever! Euz is not feeling well and should lay down."

Normally, Lilith would have reprimanded her apprentice for being so abrasive but with how pale and shaky Luz was, she was going to let it slide. During her almost eighteen years of mentoring and teaching, she had never seen a student react to their first Tempestivus badly as the ten-year-old had done. It wasn't just worrying but also concerning. Was there something that affected humans but not witches that made their Tempestivus worse? Or was there something more that was going on unseen?

Moving her teal gaze down to where the two girls stood, Lilith vowed to speak to Edalyn about this. if she was truly going to take full responbility for caring for Luz and being her maternal figure, she should know about her concerns.

"How do you put up with Hooty?" Amity whispered, causing Lilith to relax a bit. It had been awhile since she had felt calm enough not to fret or worry. "He is nothing but a menace."

"He isn't that bad," she protested tiredly, raising her head to meet Amity's clouded gaze. "While he gets on people's nerves sometimes, Hooty does know when to be serious."

"If you say so," the green haired witchling said with an eye roll, musing Lilith. It wasn't hard, during moments like this, that her apprentice truly showed her stereotypical teenager side and let her matured, calm façade slip away Before Lilith could respond or add her option, the door swung open.

"Hello?" A small canine demon poked its head out from behind its door, its pink eyes scanning over the group of three. The creature's claws, dull and tapering to a point, dug into the wood as it stood taunt, prepared to flee "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Is Edalyn available?" Lilith pushed herself forward, putting herself between the two girls and the entrance of the house. She didn't know what could come next. "I need to speak to her about something at once. It is very important."

"Wait! The demon's pink eyes widened in realization once he got a better look at Lilith. "You're Lilith's sister What are you doing here!" The creature began to growl once he saw Luz, pale and almost limp like in Amity's arms. "What did you do to Luz?"

"We didn't do anything to her!" Lilith replied icily, exasperated. While she had disliked her sister's apprentice in the past, she would never stoop to the level of Belas where he almost injured a child. Even when she fought Edalyn, right before she had almost used all her magic to protect Luz, she always made sure to keep the ten year old human out of harm's way before the Emperor, Belos, had intervened and almost killed her. "My apprentice, Miss Blight, informed me that Miss Noceda wasn't feeling the well. After attending to her immediate needs, I decided it was better for Miss Bligh and I to accompany Miss Noceda back to her home."

"How can we be so sure about that the canine demon asked uncertainly. "Luz, while having a stomach ache earlier, wasn't sick enough to look so pale. I have never seen her look this sick even when she has a bad reac tion to the Blood Beets."

"King," Luz whined, lifting her head up to stare at her roommate. "Please, can we just push this to the side so we can come in."

"I'm sorry." The skulled demon scurried backwards, allowing room for Lilith to walk forward, acting as barrier between the two girls and the house. "I will get Eda, Luz. She will be able to tell if something is wrong."

"I need to speak to Edalyn immediately!" Lilith stopped in her tracks, hands on her hips. "As I said before, it is pertaining to a very imperative topic."

"Miss Clawthorne, Luz should lay down soon," Amity stressed, warry in her voice. "Please can we continue this conversation once she is resting"

"Follow me!" King took a step back and turned around, heading deeper into the house, pausing every moment to glance back at Lilith, Luz, and Amity. "She can rest on the couch with Sir Bearington and Mr. Cuddles." Amity, remaining silent, guided Luz towards the couch. Looking at dismay at the cluttered room, she positioned herself to sit on the lesser part, allowing Luz to take the better half. To the side of them, King threw a throw blanket over her as she curled up into Amity's side.

"Eda!" King called once Luz as settle and Lilith hovered around them, tingers curling around her pristine, white staff. "We have some guest"

"Who?" came a loud shout from deeper within. "Did they say why they were here?"

"They didn't!" King scampered over to Luz, tucking another blanket around her gently patting her shoulder. "But it looks like something is wrong."

"Tell them that I am busy," Edalyn replied back as there as shuffling from upstairs and scraping of something against the floor. "I have more important matters to deal with before I have to head out to pick up Luz."

"King, I want Eda," Luz whimpered from where she sat with Luz. "I want Eda."

"I will go and get her," the canine demon said, yellow eyes filling with worry. Giving a quick look of warning to Amity and a threatening look to Lilith, Edalyn's little pet scampered off, disappearing down a long, winding hallway

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Lilith crouched down beside Luz, brushing some stray bangs out of her face Frowning at how Flushed ahe was and the heat radiating off of her, the Covenness gently unwrapped the thicker blanket off of her, placing it on the back of the couch "Do you want something to drink? I believe that I have some plum tea in my bag, Or, if Edalyn is willing, I can brew some willow bark tea."

Whimpering and blinking her misty eyes, the Hispanic preteen recoiled, pressing her shivering frame against Amity, savoring the cool temperatures that seemed to seep off of her friend. "I just want Eda," she responded, sniffling as her stomach began to clench again. "She w-will know what to do, Miss Clawthorne."

"Edalyn should be here soon, she reassured, stepping back as Amity took her place. Turning her attention to the staircase, Lilith tightened her hold onto her staff as there was arguing and stomping on the stairs. Thankfully, much to her relief, it was in Pythonissam. Luz wasn't able to understand the curse words coming from Eda or the pleading of King as the emerged from the staircase.

"Luz Elena Noceda! Edalyn stalked towards the ten-year-old, unfazed by her ashen appearance. "You better have a good reason why you are here instead of being at school, I don't pay an extra fifteen thousand outside of your scholarship each semester so you can skip."

"Eda-" Luz began, looking up at her mentor, tears beginning to gather in the corners of her eyes. "I do-"

"If you would take a moment to let me finish, Eda, you wouldn't be yelling at her!" King scampered in front of the older witch, yellow eyes angered. "If you had let me finish, you would have realized that was trying to tell you that something is wrong with Luz!"

"Stay out of this King!" Eda turned her golden and grey eyed gaze to her squirming apprentice. "You better start explaining, young lady."

"Edalyn" Placing her staff on her apprentice's fap and placing her cloak over the two girls, Lilith strode forward, meeting her younger sister with a warning stare. "This is not the time for you to scold your apprentice when you should be instead comforting her and caring for her."

"Lilith!" Edalyn raised her hand eyes narrowing. "I should have known that you were involved in some way. For the final time. I will not be coming to the manor to have a meal with father, mother, Josephine, and you. Nor will be sending Luz away just to attempt to rebuild he reputation of the family For most, her needs and wellbeing comes before the Clawthorne name."

It took all of Lilith's restraint and almost endless patience not to yell at her younger sister. Couldn't she see that she wasn't here to talk to her about something more important? The shape of her apprentice and her condition was more important than the petty squabbles between parents and their youngest child. "Edalyn," she growled through clenched teeth, seizing her by her col lar. Giving a quick look, silently telling Amity to watch over Luz, Lilith dragged her kicking and screaming out of the room, King taking up the rear. "I am not here to start a fight. Rather, I am here to speak to you about Luz and what happened at school today."

"Let me go, Lilith!" Edalyn pulled at her sister's hand, trying to get free. "We aren't little kids anymore."

"You are right," the raven haired witch said, releasing her. "And as adults, we are doing to discuss the matter at hand. The matter of your apprentice, Luz Noceda."

Edalyn paced, looking like a caged animal with mistrust and worry. "Why does this concern you?"

"Because, like it or not, " Lilith began, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. "If you are claiming Luz to be your adopted daughter, which would make me her aunt. And as her aunt, I am worried about how she is reacting."

"Reacting to what?"

"To her Lunar Phase, Edalyn!"

***

"Lunar Phase?" Eda blinked her eyes as she gazed at her older sister, confu sion heavy in her voice. "Luz is much too young to be having her Tempstivus. She won't have for another three to four years and is still a child."

"Well, your child is no longer a child," Lilith explained, staring at her little sister. "And I am concerned by her reaction, Edalyn."

"What got you so concerned when before you loathed her," Eda asked, arms crossing. "What changed?"

"When she was scared and asking her for her human mother," Lilith replied honestly. "But did you have the Moon Talk with your apprentice, Edalyn?"

"I will talk to her," the seventeen year old said, nodding. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Lilith."

"With that done, I should be going, Edalyn." Lilith turned around, starting to head back in the direction where Luz and Amity were located at. With school ending shortly, she thought it might be best to take Miss Blight and head to the training area. They could start their training session early today. "I think that Miss Blight would benefit an extra long training session to distract her. She was very worried and scared when finding Luz in the state she was in."

"Thank you, Lilith," Eda said as her older sister paused in the doorway. "I mean, thank you for being there for Luz when I couldn't."

The thirty-four-year-old nodded curtly. "While I may not have a strong rela tionship with Luz, she is considered my niece. And, I will be stopping by later as Miss Blight and Luz has a club meeting today."

"Thank you." Eda repeated again as Lilith left the room, going to collect her apprentice and to leave to head to their training location.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, after almost a full month of inactivity, I have the next chapter published. But anyway, sorry for a long wait and the chapter being shorter than expected. 
> 
> With this newest update, I should finally be able to focus on some other, shorter fics. My fics "When A Teacher Fails" and "With Her Real Family" are currently put on temporary hold as the chapters would be too much of a challenge to type on my computer and transfer over to my phone. 
> 
> But I do have a few one shots planned out for both Miraculous Ladybug and The Owl House.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will contain some mature themes with having the “Birds and The Bees” and “Bad and Good Touches” talk. If this makes you uncomfortable, I will leave a summary down below in in the notes if you want to read the next and last chapter of this piece.

“Did Lilith inform you what was wrong with Luz?” King repeated. “She mentioned something was making her sick.”

“Oooohhh.” Eda leaned against one of the shelving units, arms crossing over her chest before she nodded. “Yes, Lilith and I talked briefly, King.”

Almost instantly, King looked relax. With a relieve sigh, he said, “Is there anything that I can help with Eda? Amity currently is with Luz and she chase me out of the living room. I could go and find some wild edibles or warm up some leftovers from breakfast for Luz to eat,” the canine demon offered willingly, shocking the seventeen-year-old. There was very few times King would offer or do something willingly without some kind of threat. “While there isn’t a lot left, there should be enough for Luz to have a small helping.”

Pausing a moment to think, Eda gave a quick shake of her head. “With how Lilith escribe how Luz was feeling, I think she won’t be up to eating anything at the moment or for rest of the day,” the young adult explained kindly. “But,” she added quickly, seeing King’s face fall. “I think she would love to have some company. From what I could remember, she never did that goo when left alone for too long.”

“With how Lilith describe how Luz was feeling, I don’t think she will be up to eating anything at the moment,” Eda explained kindly “But I think she would love to have some company. Luz never did that goo when left alone.”

Face lighting up, King gave a sharp shake of his head. “I will go and sit with her than,” he said, turning around and disappearing out of sight as Eda smiled fondly.

With King gone and it now being quiet once more, Eda Clawthorne turned her attention back to her task at hand. She had come to the laundry shed to find her old Moon Cloth. It had been used only three or four times before she was cursed when she was twelve. After three months of not receiving her Lunar Cycle in a row, Lilith had taken a day off from teaching and working with the coven to take her to the Healer. It was during that appointment that she learned she was infertile and no longer have the ability to have children.

Even now, five years in the future, remembering the moment still brought tears to her eyes. While, when she had been younger, she couldn’t comprehend how life changing it could be. While others her age were starting to talk about their hopeful futures with their special someone and the children they would have, Eda was unable to imagine it. At least that was before Luz suddenly showed up in her life.

Now with Luz as her apprentice and becoming her “adopted daughter” she could imagined a future with her. Her future teenager years, the rebellion, her first training staff, and the potential of finding her North Star, and possible future grandchildren if she stayed around long enough for that.

So now with her starting to have her Lunar Cycles, Eda felt relieved. Luz wouldn’t have to face the heartbreak, sorrow, and torment that came with being unable to have children. Instead, one day in the future with her own special someone, her daughter would be given a choice they were to have children It was bittersweet and relieving at the same time that made her almost tear up.

Fighting back tears and shaking the dismal thoughts out of her mind, she move back to the corner, crouching down to pull out a basket from the Human Realm that held random pieces of fabric. Digging through, she found various pieces until she drew to the bottom. With a triumphic smirk, she found her old Moon Cloth. It was a simple white cloth with plain black buttons but it would its purpose. Once, if Luz was up for it, she could rummage around to find a paint set and decorate the buttons to make it more personal.

“This will do for now,” Eda said after she finished cleaning up the mess she made. Tucking the Moon Cloth under her arm, the seventeen-year-old exited from the laundry shed, starting to head back to the house to speak to Luz before Lilith returned with Amity.

Reentering the house and approaching the living room, Eda pause, seeing Luz curled up and King being petted. “King,” she said, keeping her voice low so not to disturb Luz. The ten-year-old appeared to be partly asleep and some color had come back to her ashen cheeks. It was a gleeful sight to see her improving. “Come here for a minute.”

“What’s up, Eda?” the small canine demon approached his roommate, stopping at the entrance to the living room. “Need help with anything?”

“I want you to go to the Human Market and if possible, get half a pound of those Tostonies, for Luz.” Ea gestured over her shoulder with one hand in direction of the main door and dug into her pocket with the other. Pulling out some crumpled snails and a few loose change, she hope it would be enough. With rent coming soon, the seventeen-year-old knew she couldn’t spare more than two or three snails and a few pence for King to buy Tosonies. “They are her favorite and she deserves a treat.”

Grabbing the money and storing it inside a small makeshift purse, King gave a nod. “I’ll see how much I can get.”

“Try to be back before suppertime,” she cautioned. “I don’t want Luz not to eat supper because she has some Tosonies to eat instead of her evening meal. Don’t dawdle too long, King.”

“If I take the short cut, I should be back by the time Amity and her finish up the meeting.” Zipping up his purse and glancing once last time at Luz, King began to scamper away. “She’s getting a lot better Eda but she still has a stomachache.”

“I will tend to her,” Eda promised as he left.

Now alone with Luz, Eda close her eyes. “You can do this,” she whispered to herself before sitting up. Grabbing the Moon Cloth from where she sat it, the seventeen-year-old began to approach the fitful girl.

‘You can do this,’ she repeated to herself. ‘Having a simple part of ‘The Buzzards and Leeches’ with Luz is simple. You only need to explain some basics for now. Just enough information so she’s not scared and enough so she is safe.’

Stopping in front of the coffee table, she sat the Moon Cloth out of sight, turning her golden and grey eyed gaze onto her apprentice. “Luz,” she whispered softly.

Blinking her eyes open, Luz flinched at her close proximity as she pressed an arm into her lower stomach. Once the pained grimace left her gaze, she swallowed. “Am I in trouble?” she asked in a soft, fearful voice.

Sighing and standing up, Eda settled on the couch, gently pulling Luz onto her lap. Using on arm to support her and the other to rub her back, she continue. “Alright, has your mother talked about the monthly cycle with you before you came here, Kiddo? Or explain anything about what happened as you got older?”

“Monthly cycle?” Luz echoed, sounding completely lost. “What happens when I get older?”

“Alright.” Eda took another breath, silently cursing at Luz’s mother back in the Human Realm. Even though it was very rare for a witchling to get their Lunar Cycle so young, like Luz, it was explained to them soon as they were old enough to understand. “While I anticipated you getting your cycle, I thought your mother talked to you about it. With you being only ten, kiddo, I will just explain the basics about the Lunar cycle and another topic that you should be informed about.”

Luz’s face scrunched up. “D-d-do we have to?”

“Yes.” Eda nodded, her shoulders lowering. “This is something that you should have been talked to about quite a while ago, kiddo.”

“Is it bad that I don’t know?” Luz squeaked, cheeks burning.

“It’s…it could be a problem,” Eda said softly. “There are people out there who are worse than Emperor Belos and want to hurt children like you, Kiddo. It is because of those people that you should have been talked about it earlier. B-but do has the school talked about a Lunar cycle or something called Tempestivus to you and your classmates?”

“No but an upperclassmen said something about it today,” Luz said in a high pitched, panicked voice. “I-is that the name of the thing that is making me bleed?”

“Yes, what you are currently on is called Tempestivus for the week you are bleeding,” Eda agree in a soothing voice. “And Lunar cycle for it being monthly. Do you know…why you get Tempestivus?”

Luz gave of shake of her head. “Is it a bad thing?”

“No! No!” She gave a quick shake of her head. “Let me ask this: do you know where babies come from?”

“In your tummy?” Luz gesture to Eda’s stomach than her own. “That’s what Mami said when I asked when I was younger.”

“Do you know how people get pregnant or have a baby?”

“Because a Mommy and Daddy love each other?” Luz’s voice had fallen to a low whisper.

Eda nodded. “That is partly true. But when a girl gets old enough, her body tells a part of her brain that it’s time to start their Lunar Cycle,” she explained. “It is that Lunar Cycle that allows the person, only when their older, to have a baby but only when they are ready.”

“Have a BABY!” The ten-year-old paled. “But I am still a baby.”

“That is why I said when you are ready.” Eda glanced down at her. “When the time comes and you are ready, than you can talk to your partner. But with your body maturing and you still being young, it may attract unwanted attention, sweetie.”

“Unwanted attention?” She blinked her hazel-brown eyed gaze. “Like when someone won’t leave me alone?”

“H-has your mother given you the “Good Touch and Bad Touch” talk?”

“I d-don’t know what that is.”

Eda sighed, eye twitching. She was starting to like Camilia Noceda less and less with every passing moment. ‘This is going to be a doozy,’ she thought as she took a deep breath.

“Do you remember how I said there were bad people worse than Belos?”

Luz nodded.

“Well, there are bad people who like to do things to children. Those things are bad and shouldn’t be done between two people unless they are both able to consent. If a person, teacher, stranger, male or female, ever makes you feel uncomfortable or touches you in your private places-your breast, once you develop, or your vagina-that isn’t a healer, Lilith, or myself, you scream, curse, throw things, or make a big display to get someone’s attention, or get up and walk out. Once you do that I want you to go find Lilith. Either in her office or at the castle. Or if you are being tracked or attacked, I know I may not have the best relationship with the Emperor’s Coven, I want you to go to a guard and say that someone, a bad person, is attempting to hurt you and touch you. Once they start to do something, tell another you want Lilith Clawthorne.”

Moving her gaze back to Luz, Eda knew the preteen would be sleeping in the nest with her for the next few weeks.

“There are bad people who want to do that?” she asked, almost in tears.

“Y-yes,” she said. “B-but there are others who are there to protect you, sweetie. While there is a bad touch, there is also a good touch. The good touch is from Lilith, myself, and a healer. The good touch is only when a healer is checking over you and Lilith and I help you if you maybe sick or need assistance while getting dressed.”

“What if it happens when I am at Hexide? Would I get into trouble if I walked out in the middle of class or the school day?”

“No, you will never get into trouble if you were leaving a situation where you didn’t feel safe. If they try to do anything just tell Lilith and I. We will handle it okay, Luz.”

“What’s that?” Luz gestured to where the Moon cloth sat on the coffee table.

“This is a Moon Cloth,” she explained, reaching over with one arm and the other holding Luz into place. “This is yours to use to make sure you don’t bleed through like today when you have your Moon Cycle. Later today, before you go to bed, you can pain the buttons so it can be more personal.”

“Can I paint it rainbow?” she asked in a soft voice. “With butterfly stickers?”

Eda nodded smiling. “Kid, I know you may not want to answer, but could you explain why you didn’t come to me when you first thought something was wrong?”

Squirming and avoiding her mentor’s gaze, the ten-year-old admitted, “I heard you say that you couldn’t afford a Healer, and that one medical bill could push you into the red. I didn’t want to worry you or make you not pay rent or any other expenses.”

“Your health is more important than money,” Eda answered simply. “If you ever feel sick or like something is wrong, come and tell me. I will drop everything and take you to the Healer right away.”

Face filling with relief, Luz nodded, leaning against her shoulder. “Can I slee-“

“Yes, for as long as you need,” Eda reassure her, smoothing down her hair as there was a knock at the front door. “Go and get your Moon Cloth on and I will answer the door.”

“Okay..” Halfheartedly, Luz rose to her feet and left the living room, heading to the makeshift bathroom upstairs.

****

“I had the Buzzards and Leeches talk with Luz,” Eda said to Lilith once they were settled in the kitchen and each had a cup of steaming Willow Bark tea. “And I need to talk to you about something that I told Luz.”

“How does that exactly include me?” Lilith blinked her teal eyes, glancing at her little sister through the steam rising above her teacup. “It shouldn’t hav-. You had the “Bad and Good Touch” talk with her.”

“Yes.”

Hearing this, Lilith breathe softly, nodding. “What did you tell her?”

“That with her growing up and her being young, there are going to be people, worse than Belos, who are going to give her unwanted attention,” she explained, pausing to take a sip of her tea. “And if a person, teacher or a stranger makes her feel uncomfortable or touches her in her private parts that aren’t you, I, or a healer she should do anything to get someone’s attention. Or if she can, get up and walk away. I told her to go and find you. And if someone is following or trying to attack her to go straight to an Emperor Guard so she can be brought to you.”

“I will have to talk to her too.” Taking another sip, Lilith couldn’t help but recall how she had an almost identical conversation with her little sister, Edalyn, when she had been five. She had given her permission to interrupt any meeting, no matter how important, if something happened or someone tried something. Nothing was more important than her wellbeing and safety."

“I will tell her the very same thing that I told you, Edalyn, twelve years ago.”

“Thank you,” she breathed, shoulders slumping. “That makes me worry a lot less.”

“It’s part of a mentor’s job to worry about their apprentice,” she replied, glancing in the direction where the rising voice of Amity and Luz’s giggling was heard. “Even if that means breaking tradition and having relationships closer than they should be.”

“After a while, they become more than just an apprentice,” Eda commented. “Luz has become that and more to me several weeks after becoming my apprentice and training beneath me.”

“Amity is starting to feel like a daughter to me,” she agreed. “I can’t imagine my life without her.”

“Me neither, Lilith,” Eda sighed lovingly. “Me neither.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Eda Clawthorne is searching through the laundry shed for her old Moon Cloth when King interrupts her. He wants to help with something but doesn’t know what to do. Telling him that Luz was alone, she is left to recall the moment she had become barren. After getting the curse at a young age and growing up faster than her peers, she was unable to even imagine a life with a child or realized how much she wanted one. Than recently, after Luz came into her life, she realized how much she wanted a family, and now, for the first time in forever, she could imagine how the future could be if Luz stayed living with her. After feeling relieved that Luz wouldn’t have to go through something like she did, she goes to have the talk with Luz. After explaining the “Buzzards and Leaches” and the “Bad and Good Touch” she shows Luz her Moon cloth, explaining this is for her to use. Later that day, about an hour or two later, Lilith and Amity returns. Leaving the two girls to do their club meeting in the living room, they retire to the kitchen. In private, they discuss what Eda told Luz earlier. Promising to take her aside to talk later, Lilith and Eda agree that their apprentices were starting to become like their family.
> 
> ___
> 
> This is the second to last chapter for this book, Luz’s Discord. I already have the last chapter written but publishing date is still unknown. I have three other fics that I must update before I update this one again. With me finishing this book already offline, I have started planning out the next book. While I can’t give the blurb as it will give spoilers I can say this:
> 
> The third book in the series is called: “Woes Of Mentors and The truth Of An Apprentice.”


	7. Chapter Seven

With a bright smile on her face, Luz chased after Amity, leaving their mentors to sit on Lilith’s porch, sipping tea and watching their apprentices with fond smiles. It had been two weeks since Luz had first gotten her Lunar Cycle and her spending every night in the nest with Eda. Now, after a quick trip to the market place, they were spending the weekend at Lilith’s place.

“How has Luz been coping since you had the talks with her?” Lilith asked after placing her teacup back onto her plate. “Amity told she is still a bit hesitant around others besides her friend group and refuse to go anywhere by herself.”

“She’s doing a lot better,” the youngest Clawthorne sister replied with a grimace, stifling a yawn. “For the past two weeks, I’ve been getting woken up from her kicking and nightmares. But last night, both of us slept through the night. Luz will probably sleep in my nest for another week or two before graduating to her sleeping bag on the floor with King.”

“You were the same way,” Lilith assured her. “It took almost six months but I finally got you back into sleeping in your own bedroom with your Protector Item.”

“I will have to try that with Luz,” Eda agreed with a nod. “But have you heard back from Mother and Father at all, Lilith.” Gripping onto her teacup, she glanced out where Amity and Luz where now huddled beneath a tree. Situated between them was King, holding a book on his lap. “I’m starting to worry. They have never been this silent before when I “rebelled”.”

Lips pressing firmly, the middle Clawthorne sister gave a shake of her head, worried too. Meeting her little sister’s gaze, it wasn’t hard to picture the worry and anxiety it was causing not only to her but also to both of them. Even though she may not like it, with Amity being close friends with Luz, she knew whenever the shoe dropped, she, her apprentice, and the other two kids in their friend group would be caught in the crossfire.

Their parents, while appearing nice and loving, was opposite to what the public saw. They had always been controlling, demanding, and strict. If one of them, when they were younger, where unable to meet their strict goals, they have been punished with no food for a couple days or locked down in the cellular. With Eda now claiming Luz as her daughter, Lilith knew that the young girl, if not watched over carefully, would suffer.

“We will have to keep a close eye on the girls,” she said after a moment. “Knowing Mother, Father, Josephine, and Agatha, they will do everything within their powers to make sure they gain control over you or prohibit Luz to reach the potential that she has shown to be able to reach.”

Sharpened fingertips digging into the fine China, Eda gave a firm nod. She knew there was a chance they would interfere with Luz’s education and her status at Hexide but with Lilith on their side, there would be little chance of that happening now. “I know everything will turn out okay one day, Lilith. Right now we need to focus on what the best for Luz, and I think you know what I mean,” she assured her, placing the teacup down before she broke it. “One day, hopefully in the near future, I-I want to introduce Luz as a Clawthorne to give her better protection than I can offer on my own, and better connections once she starts doing her secondary training.”

“I will be right there alongside you,” the older sister replied, glancing lovingly in the direction of their two apprentices. “I was thinking of doing the Bonding Oath with Amity when she turns sixteen, Eda. I think, if you want to, that you do the same with Luz. That would be the only way that Mother and Father cannot touch her. If I and you enlist as her mentors, they cannot claim she’s not part of the family.”

“As much as I would love for her to go through the Bonding Oath, I want to talk to her first.” Eda glanced in the direction of the yard, making out the blurry figures of the two girls as they waded into the pond, just inches away from the fence that blocked off the deepest parts. Sighing, her shoulders slumped. Knowing one day she would return to the Human Realm and live with her real family was hard on her. “I’m not her real mother, Lilith. And if we do the Bonding Oath, that would be stripping away any familial ties that she has with her mother. I want to speak to her first so she truly knows what she is risking and giving up.”

“We should do it together,” Lilith answered after a pause. “I don’t want Amity to go through with the Bond Oath if she doesn’t know fully what is happening.”

Eda grabbed ahold of the tea cup again and took a sip as silence fell over the sisters. It felt nice to have some moment of quiet before the girls grew tired of playing and would want to try baking a new recipe that Luz learned about when reading a book from the Hexide library. Once they were inside, there would be no of reigning them in when the sugar claimed them.

“Edalyn, I know you may not like it but I have been looking into night classes,” Lilith began, breaking the silence. “I-I-I have some affordable prices and places that are helping low income parents get payment for classes.”

Eda sighed. “Lil-“

“You said it yourself that with the price of your Elixars going up to fifty Pecos now, you worry that you won’t be able to pay for Luz’s school. If Luz can’t go to Hexide, she will fall through the cracks like many others, Edalyn” the older Clawthorne sister began. “If you take the classes, I can help with the essentials and make sure that you have a place to stay if it comes to that.”

The seventeen-year-old grimaced but nodded. Lilith, while annoying, did have a point. Luz had worked hard to get where she was, and while still far behind on her classmates with language and reading their tongue, she should great potential to do more than what was seen of her. Removing her from the school and away from her peers wouldn’t just upset her but cause great harm. “Give me a few weeks to think about it, Lilith,” she replied, getting to her feet. Beginning to gather up the dishes, the outlaw almost dropped the fragile dishes when she didn’t see Luz and Amity anywhere.

Before she could alert her older sister, from the other side of the pond, in the cluster of plants, a loud shout of, “Eda!” and “Lilith” alerted them that something was wrong.

To her feet at once, Lilith called her staff, clutching onto it when it answered her plea. “Edalyn, the kids,” she said to her younger sister, giving her no time to answer. “I will see what is happening. Get the kids back to the manor and take them inside.”

“Be safe, Lil,” she said, summoning Owlbert to her. Holding tightly onto her staff, she pushed off of the ground, knowing it would be a quicker way to them. “And no fires this time.”

“Same for you,” Lilith growled, growing more worried as bright flashes of red scorched the bright, endless blue sky. “That’s Amity’s danger signal!”

“I will go get them.” Guiding her staff to fly over the manor, Eda hurried, leaning forward as she caught glimpse of her sister apprentice’s brunette roots. After a moment of searching, much to her horror and desperate searching, Luz wasn’t with Amity. “Lilith,” she cried, noticing her sister flying past her. “Luz is gone!”

“Amity first,” her sister panted as they began to descend in front of the trembling child. “Amity,” she said, barely getting a chance to climb off her staff before the fifteen-year-old scrambled across the clearing and throwing herself into her mentor’s cloak. “Darling, what happened?” Where is Luz?”

“Lilith! Oh Lilith!” Digging her fingers into her mentor’s cloak, Amity Blight let out a loud, heart wrenching sob. “I-I-I was so scared,” she sobbed, tears falling down her pale face. “I wasn’t strong enough to protect Luz and she took her!”

“Shhh, sweetgums,” she crooned, crouching down in front of her. Carefully, the teal haired witch unlocked her death like grip on her cloak. Slipping it off, she wrapped it around her apprentice as glancing at Eda, sharping a murderous look with each other. Whoever scared Amity and took Luz would wouldn’t be living much longer. Nobody messed with the apprentices of the Clawthorne sisters. “You are okay, Amity. I have you. You’re safe.”

“I-I-I want Edric and Emira,” she sobbed, finally raising her head. “C-C-can they come here, Lilith?”

“Yes,” she soothed, drawling the teenager close. “I will call them once we have a short talk, sweetie.”

“A-a-about what?” Amity’s golden eyes went wide like an owl’s as she clutched onto her mentor’s cloak. “Am I in trouble for what happened? I tried to protect Luz b-b-but she was too strong. I couldn’t defeat her, Lilith.”

“No.” It was Eda’s turned to crouch down and comfort the distraught child. “You aren’t in trouble, Amity. We just need to talk about the person that attacked you. Can you describe her for us, sweetie? If we know what she looks like, Lilith and I will have an easier task to track her down and find Luz.”

Face falling, Amity whispered, “she was old,” in a scarce whisper that the Clawthorne sisters had to strain to hear.

“Like me old or Professor Goffin old?” Lilith questioned, gently pressing on. With the attack happening only recently, it would get all the information they could before going to find Luz. “Or someone older than Professor Goffin.”

“Older,” she replied. “A-a-and she was long, black hair that was starting to turn gray. T-the woman didn’t appear until after the siren calls stopped.”

“Siren..!” Edalyn, no longer able to keep her composure, stood up. Fingers tightening around her staff and knuckles turning white, the seventeen-year-old gritted her teeth, golden eye twitching. _Don’t swear in front of the child. Don’t swear in front of the child. Don’t swear in front of the child._ “Lilith,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “You don’t think it’s her? After all these years of her being away.”

Silent, the thirty-four-year-old clutched tighter onto her apprentice as she took a deep breath. “If it is her, I will make her pay,” she said softly, voice filled with anger. “She knows that side is not welcomed on my property or anywhere near a member of the Clawthorne family.”

“W-who is she?” Amity asked in a whisper, startled. The fourteen-year-old wasn’t used to seeing her mentor so angered before. Normally, she was good at controlling her emotions around her apprentice or others her age. But something had set her off. “Who was the person that took Luz?”

“My very first apprentice,” Lilith said, glancing at Amity. “My first apprentice, Eleanor Blake. I disowned her as my apprentice a few months before you arrived, Amity.”

“Why would she take Luz?” Amity’s golden eyes widened as she stared between her mentor and mentor’s sister. “Why take Luz instead of me? I am your apprentice, not Luz.”

“She’s still very close to our parents,” Edalyn explained. “And will do everything to please them or reverse anything that causes damage to the Clawthorne familial name."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this story officially being complete, I am able to announce the blurb for the next story now:
> 
> Edalyn and Lilith are struggling to balance their free time, work, and looking for Luz as Amity begins to realize that Luz is the most important person to her. And she is willing to risk everything for her. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Luz suffers under the hands of her captor as she tries to remain hopeful. But the days go by, she loses hope. 
> 
> \---
> 
> At the moment, this isn’t planned to be written or published for this month. I have another story that I am about to finish and another to work on that I want to get further in before publishing another one for The Owl House fandom besides a possible one-shot here or there.


End file.
